Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline – November 23, 2021

After months of Democrat infighting and strong-arming by Speaker Pelosi, the House passed the President’s “Build Back Bankrupt” reconciliation bill this week. Rather than working to stabilize our economy and drive costs down, this partisan $1.75 trillion tax and spend bill prioritizes the Green New Deal, grants amnesty for illegal immigrants, creates 150 new government programs, and weaponizes the IRS – all the while raising taxes on families and businesses. I voted against this legislation because it would be disastrous for our Nation.

We also learned this week that the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice lied when it said they were not monitoring parents who spoke up at school board meetings. A whistleblower came forward and we now know the FBI was not only using anti-terror tools to track parents, but they were also being labeled with “threat tags.” This is highly inappropriate, and I spoke out against this injustice. I also continue to take action against another form of government overreach – federal vaccine mandates. While I encourage folks to get the vaccine at their discretion, no one should be forced to choose between a shot and their job. I remain committed to advocating for the rights of the residents of the Sixth District.

Additionally, I appreciated the opportunity to connect with various constituents this week while I traveled throughout the area attending several events and touring local businesses. Further, I was pleased to honor the life of Bernard Marie, who spent decades promoting the welfare of WWII Veterans. And finally, I enjoyed hearing from college and university presidents from throughout the District to discuss issues relating to higher education. It was a busy week both at home and here in Washington, but I am always grateful for the opportunity to serve as your representative in Congress.

Build Back Bankrupt:

I voted against the Democrats’ bloated Budget Reconciliation bill this week because it would destroy our economic recovery and harm our Nation’s fiscal health. From the grocery store to the gas station, folks are paying more for goods and services. As inflation rates hit a 31-year high, families have seen their paychecks lose their purchasing power since President Biden took office. And while this Administration claims that inflation is just a “high-class problem,” middle- and low-income Americans are the ones truly hurting. Biden has already admitted that his previous $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” is largely responsible for the current rising costs, but that didn’t stop Nancy Pelosi and the far-Left from ramming another bloated, multi-trillion-dollar tax and spend spree through the House this week.

Spending trillions of dollars on programs we do not need with money we do not have is the picture of poor governance. Propping up the Green New Deal won’t solve the economic crisis. Weaponizing the IRS against Americans won’t lower inflation. Giving amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants won’t make filling up at the gas pump hurt less. Creating 150 new government programs won’t help put goods back on store shelves. And leveling crippling tax hikes on American families and businesses takes money out of people’s pockets. Further, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed just hours before the vote what we already knew – the bill is not paid for and would add more than $367 billion to the deficit over the next ten years. With the national debt nearing $29 trillion, we can’t afford Nancy Pelosi and President Biden’s trillion-dollar “Build Back Bankrupt” bill.

DOJ Targeting Parents:

Being a parent is a sacred responsibility, and every parent simply wants what’s best for their kids. That’s why over the past year we saw parents speak up at local school board meetings all across the country. Whether it was pushing back against the radical teaching of Critical Race Theory or voicing their opposition to COVID lockdowns, parents were standing up for their kids.

However, the National School Board Association (NSBA) deemed people exercising their First Amendment rights as domestic terrorists, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) used this narrative to launch investigations into parents. Disturbingly, this week, we even learned from a whistleblower that the FBI was using anti-terror tools to monitor parents and adding “threat tags” to files to track them. This is absurd, and we should never criminalize parents for speaking up for their children. To make matters worse, we now know the Attorney General lied under oath when he said there was no coordination between the DOJ and the NSBA. This Administration has weaponized the DOJ for political gain and has chosen to stand with teachers’ unions over parents and students. These actions are tyrannical, and Congress must know the extent to which parents were spied on.

Opposing Federal Vaccine Mandates:

Businesses across the country are desperate for workers, and our Nation is facing a critical supply chain shortage. As grocery store shelves sit empty, and communities struggle to recover, President Biden should be doing everything possible to encourage Americans to show up to work. Instead, it is the Administration’s plan to implement a vaccine mandate that would force millions of Americans out of work. The Federal government should not be mandating vaccines on American citizens and threatening the jobs of folks who don’t comply is simply wrong. That is why I have taken several actions to protect the rights of citizens across this country. Below are several pieces of legislation I have cosponsored on the matter.

HR 5860 – Keeping Our COVID19 HEROES Employed Act
This bill would exempt essential workers from COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed by the federal government, a public or private federal contractor, a private entity receiving federal funds, or a private entity receiving COVID-19 relief funds appropriated by Congress.

HR 3860 – Military COVID Vaccine
This bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to require a member of the Armed Forces to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill also prohibits adverse action (e.g., punishment) being taken against a member of the Armed Forces because the member refuses to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

HR 5892 – Our Veterans Earned It Act
This bill would ensure that no service member loses their VA benefits for choosing not to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

HJ Res 65 – Congressional Review Act Resolution
This resolution would nullify OSHA’s emergency temporary standard mandating vaccines for private-sector employers.

HR 5811 – No Vaccine Mandate Act
Amends the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2022 to prohibit the use of funds related to any rule requiring a COVID-19 vaccination.

Higher Education Roundtable:

Virginia’s Sixth District is home to more institutions of higher education than nearly any other district in the country. With more than 20 colleges and universities within our borders, students from across the United States flock to the Sixth District to pursue their education. For this reason, it is critically important that I foster an open dialogue between myself and our region’s schools to ensure that I am best representing their and our students’ interests in Congress. That is why I hosted my Third Annual Higher Education Roundtable, which was attended by representatives from eight schools throughout the District. We discussed a wide array of topics ranging from college affordability, 21st-century learning, and of course, how their institutions have adapted to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a thorough and thoughtful conversation, and I hope to continue these sorts of productive forums in the future.

Honoring Bernard Marie:

This week I honored the life and legacy of Bernard Marie, who recently passed away at the age of 82. As a young five-year-old living in Normandy, France, Marie often told the story of being rushed into his home’s basement by his grandparents in the early morning of June 6th, 1944. It was there his family sat for 16 hours in the dark without food or water before his mother emerged from the cellar to hug an American GI after realizing their village had finally been liberated from German occupation. Marie said that witnessing the D-Day invasion instilled in him a lifelong respect for World War II Veterans, and he was forever grateful to those who secured his country’s freedom.

Later in life when he moved to the United States, he began hosting an annual luncheon to honor local World War II Veterans wherever he was living to show his support for them and their families. When he settled in Roanoke in 2001, he brought the event with him. These luncheons served as a place for Veterans to come together and share their experiences – some for the first time. Aside from the luncheon, Marie helped raise money for the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, sat by the bedside of service members when they were ill, and even worked to award the French Legion of Honor medal to nearly 150 American Veterans. He said that his goal was not only to honor these heroes but to ensure they were never forgotten. Marie meant a great deal to our community, and he will not soon be forgotten.

Constituent Meeting:

I always enjoy traveling throughout our region meeting with constituents and businesses. This week I had the pleasure of touring various manufacturing facilities, hearing from students during “Take Your Legislator to School” events, and hearing about the good work happening at an advocacy center.

Artisan Packaging (Harrisonburg)

Valley Children’s Advocacy Center (Staunton)

Lord Botetourt High School (Daleville)

Woodrow Wilson Middle School (Roanoke)

MAAG Group (Eagle Rock)

Delta Star (Lynchburg)

COVID-19 Update:

This week in Virginia there was an average of 16.8 cases of COVID-19 per every 100,000 residents. This is up from an average of 15.9 cases from one week prior. This week’s positivity rate was 6.2% compared to last week’s 6.4%. For more information, click here.
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Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Congressman. If my office can ever be of assistance, please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-5431.

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